@Toulouse - Luzern:

The RMA bill has NOT been approved and it would be interesting to see the outcome as in the past, previous gov'ts have tried to change the RMA without success.

I've just heard another small building company in Christchurch has closed shop (don't know the company name) on the basis that they can't source timer framing to build the houses. Meanwhile our logs continue to be exported to China.

Going back to the RMA, I do believe it will make a difference by allowing more dwellings per given site area. The reason is this, when you look overseas developed nations and how housing is built in urban areas, the houses are built CLOSER and they make BEST USE of the land. A lot of these gross 'setback boundaries' do nothing but grow weeds. Not everyone wants to live further and further away from the city centre or away from a desired region. Therefore as demonstrated in other major cities around the world, building a single story dwelling with a large outdoor yard is a waste of space. If the person desires the back yard, they can simply live away from the city hustle and bustle. We need to start thinking of building up and when you do so, you get better use of building materials. The way we build houses with dwangs / noggin in the timber framing is wasteful. A multistory dwelling condo uses a common wall between dwellings. Saves on the heating & cooling aspect too. Again, look overseas and see what they are doing to address social housing. They build multistory 5 levels like, and each family gets a door (if they want the back yard, they use a shared yard outside). However, what I see in NZ is a lot of NIMBYism.

Regarding around the housing problem in NZ, our gov't does not need to show honesty. The people know what the problem is. Just no one in gov't has the guts to fix it. Like change the tax laws that favour holding houses as an investment asset instead of Kiwi Saver (which it's paper gains are taxed annually and indefinitely until withdrawn). Jacinda did Strike 1 in the TWG, she did Strike 2 in Kiwi Build, will she do Strike 3 in changing the RMA?